Chapter 1 Flashback

He whispered careful not to wake Sophie, my cat and only friend. "Cassie come close," he said before pausing, "I want to tell you something important." I gracefully walked to his bedside. And he continued after coughing, "You're not completely human..."

A puzzled expression consumed my face, "Are you ok? 'Cause-" "Cassie, I'm fine. Just listen," he said cutting me off, "You've always been different from the other kids, I know you feel it." I frowned remembering how I stuck out from the other kids and therefore had no friends, "Everyone's different dad." He sighed and sunk into his soft pillows, "But you're special; you're half human, and a quarter vampire..."

He took a long gasp for breath, about to continue, but he died. His eyes turned glassy and his skin got a bit paler then before. I heard the monitor do a long beep and I knew I would never hear what else I am from him. It troubled me that I would never know the rest of what I was. But I knew I had even more troubling matters ahead of me.

Hot, sticky tears began to roll down my face like a steady rainfall on a hot summer night. I laid down crying on the floor and curled up into a fetal position. Sophie jumped down from the bed and sat down by the top of my head. I listened to her purr as I cried and eventually fell asleep.

His nurse found me hours later on the floor with red eyes and a snotty nose. She sat down, hugged me, and said, "It's alright kiddo," while rubbing comforting circles into my back. Her and I never really talked but it felt nice getting a hug nonetheless. After a few minutes of silence she unlatched me from her and stood up. "Let's get you cleaned up," she said offering me her hand and a reassuring smile. I took it.

The days following were boring and a blur. At the funeral it rained as if everyone knew a great man's funeral was today. Most of the funeral I was thinking of all the good times we had before mom died and before we turned into an awkward family, as they labeled us.

I never paid attention to anything they talked about at the funeral. I only snapped back into focus when people came and said how sorry they were. Half of the people looked like they were from his work, but I saw a group of an awkward family of five standing near the grave and looking at it. They had an air of sophistication, wisdom, and stillness.

They were godly, as if statues of the Greek gods, but still didn't compare. I never saw them with my dad or even at his work. I don't think people as gorgeous as them could work. They were unusually pale like paper. Perhaps some friends from the UK. One of them looked at me, her face dripping in sympathy.

Her eyes were a rainbow of colors, enchanting; almost like a bunch of fireworks went off in her eyes. It was like I was under a spell, if she asked me to do something I would do it. But then she noticed how my eyes were glued to hers and so they changed to a light blue as if she felt ashamed of showing off her colorful eyes.

I was set up for adoption the day after the funeral. I lived with a foster family for the time being. They were polite and lived in a small but nicely furnished house. I was surprised no one wanted to adopt me. I was all over the papers; they labeled the front pages like: "daughter of dearly departed scientist", "young, rich, and without a family", and many other things. I thought I was never going to be adopted.

But one day, a very pale and young couple decided that I would fit in nicely with their family. I was introduced to them and then the next thing I knew, papers were signed and I had to pack up everything. They were part of the pale family of five at the funeral.

"I'm William," said the man with a slight posh accent. "And I'm Claire," said the woman extending her hand, "you must be Elizabeth." "Yeah, hi," I replied, not taking her hand. She silently withdrew the hand and a look of sadness flashed on her face. "So let's go get your stuff," said William, before leading us out of the building.